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A Little Sleep, Elder Robert Willis (dec)

A Little Slumber

Sleep is needed by all of us; some more than others. Our natural
bodies need to rest from their labors so they can rejuvenate and be
ready to tackle whatever the next day brings. We find that the
human body of our Lord Jesus Christ needed sleep as indicated in

Mark 4:38.

The question may be asked if God Himself requires sleep. The answer is NO! David,
in penning down the inspired word of God, wrote - “...he that keepeth thee will will
not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm

121:3-4). This verse emphasizes that the Lord is always watchful of our needs and our
welfare. There is a great benefit for God’s children due to His watch care. The provi-
dential care of our Lord was felt strongly by David in Psalm 4:8, “I will both lay me

down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.” A popular
child’s prayer often repeated by parents to their small children is taken from this
verse.

Sleep in the Bible does not always mean the closing of the eyes and the getting of

much needed rest for the natural body. It can be a representation of laziness as indi-
cated by Solomon in Proverbs 6:9-10, “How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when
wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the

hands to sleep:...”

Sleep can also refer to death. One can be “asleep” and it mean corporal death of the
body as in the case of Lazarus when Jesus first spoke of him as being asleep, then
clarified it in clearer terms for the Apostles to better understand that he was dead. To

those who loved Lazarus, he WAS dead. The natural body no longer had life in it and
would be in the tomb for four days. But to Christ, who has all power in heaven and on
earth, natural death is no more than sleep. Notice John 11:11, “...Our friend Lazarus

sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.”

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